Ange was just about to start cursing when, all of a sudden, a phone rang from Huayin’s pocket.
The mischievous and commanding glint in Huayin’s eyes instantly vanished the moment she saw the screen, as if doused by a bucket of icy water, freezing her in place.
The easy confidence, that teasing expression on her face, disappeared, replaced by a rare and almost rigid look of shock.
She even forgot to keep pressing in on Ange, simply lifting her hand by instinct and turning the screen toward Ange so she could clearly see who was calling.
Mom.
Those two words exploded like thunder, shattering the stifling air of the cramped bathroom.
The angry words that had already reached Ange’s lips, mingled with shame and outrage, were stuck hard in her throat.
All the heat, shame, and nearly uncontrollable panic she’d been feeling were suddenly suppressed by a completely different kind of fear that came with those two words.
She stared hard at the screen, her heart clenched by an invisible hand, not even daring to breathe.
Was it… the result about that Egg?
Huayin drew a deep breath and slid her thumb over the answer button.
She hadn’t even managed to lift the phone all the way to her ear when a woman’s voice burst out—so loud it could be heard clearly even without speakerphone, brimming with unmistakable authority and anger.
“Huayin! Are you fooling around out there?! I’m telling you! Get ready to be a mom! I don’t care how you feel about that girl right now! Bring her home immediately!”
The sheer weight and bluntness of it all landed like a hammer, smashing down on both Huayin and Ange.
“What?! Mom?! What do you mean?!”
Huayin cried out, her voice overflowing with disbelief, all the earlier control she’d had gone in an instant.
“Your Egg is fertilized!” The voice on the other end didn’t bother with any detours, her tone direct and efficient, the sort of way the matriarch of a big family dealt with trouble.
“Your dad and I don’t mind if you get rid of it, but you know how those old fogeys at home are. Your grandfather and the others would never let the family’s bloodline just disappear like that. This child is happening, whether you like it or not!”
“What!” Huayin’s voice shot up, almost cracking.
Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her phone, the other hand unconsciously pressing against her flat stomach.
The color drained from her face—even though that little life wouldn’t actually grow in her own belly, the end result was the same: there’d be another child.
Ange leaned against the cold tile wall, feeling like the ground was spinning beneath her feet.
It’s really happened… it’s really happened… Marriage by Pregnancy… Those four words, once a blurry threat with a hint of jest, had suddenly turned into a cold, inescapable reality.
Her mind was blank, except for the roaring in her ears from the Beelzebub blood running wild within her.
The voice on the phone continued, leaving no room for refusal.
“Bring her back. The family wants to meet her, and while you’re at it, we’ll take her measurements to have her wedding clothes made.”
“Wait! Mom! You’re not joking, are you? You’re not playing with me, right?!” Huayin grabbed at the last straw, a hint of pleading in her voice even she didn’t notice.
“Would I joke about something like this?!” The voice on the other end grew even more severe.
“You made your bed—now you lie in it! That child needs both a mom and a dad. The two of you had better figure out how to become a real couple before the baby is born! That’s final. I’ll take care of your leave from the Academy. You arrange everything else yourself!”
“Mom!”
Beep—beep—beep—
The busy tone sounded, decisive and efficient, leaving no room for argument or discussion.
Huayin remained frozen as if still on the phone, the mobile pressed tightly to her ear, unable to believe the call was actually over.
Those usually brilliant, red eyes of hers were now filled with confusion, shock, and the stunned helplessness of being utterly blindsided.
In the cramped bathroom, the two of them stood completely still, not saying a word.
The only sound was Ange’s heavy, uneven breathing, roughened by the burning of the Magic Mark, proof that time had not truly stopped.
Every hint of intimacy that had lingered in this space was shattered by that phone call. All that was left on their faces was mutual bewilderment, confusion, and gloom.
Ange stared at Huayin’s lost and empty figure, opening her mouth, only to find she couldn’t make a sound.
What should she say? Congratulations? Sorry? Or maybe ask what they should do next?
The burning from the Magic Mark surged up again, a fierce reminder of her own perilous situation.
On one side was the urgent need roaring inside her, on the other the sudden news that would decide her entire future—her mind felt like it was splitting apart.
She watched as Huayin slowly lowered her phone and turned around.
Their eyes met in the air.
All the earlier defiance, teasing, and shame between them were gone. Huayin blinked, her crimson eyes dull and vacant. Her hand went slack, and the phone dropped to the floor.
There was nothing left to say between them.